The Kick-off meeting of the TO GATHER TOGETHER project took place in Barcelona from 13 to 15 October 2022. Thanks to the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union, the associations ASD Evoluzione e Benessere; VŠĮ Sportukime Kartu; Club Atlético de Queluz; Club de Gimnastica La Mina - Gervasio Deffer were able to learn and discuss the role of sports in fighting gender stereotypes.
The meeting was divided into three phases: the first included the explanation of the main objective of the project, namely to promote the educational role of sports associations in the field of Gender Equality; the specific objectives concerning, above all, the construction of the new TGT method to help sports organisations and trainers put into practice the theoretical teachings learned. Also, the trainer described the difference between stereotypes, prejudices, gender identity and sexual orientation in this first phase.
The second phase was based on creating a workshop in which the participants, divided into working groups, first wrote down what they thought gender, sexual orientation, stereotypes and prejudices were. The answers to these questions helped them identify which stereotypes are most common in the family environment, school, and sports.
Finally, it was time for the presentation to the other working groups of the knowledge acquired during the meeting, especially of the possible solutions to defeat gender stereotypes in sports.
The main objective of the TGT project co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union is to promote the educational role of sports associations in the field of Gender Equality, spreading an innovative and practical method including sports activities and rules of conduct for girls, boys and parents, allowing Youth Workers to develop new skills.
It was explained that this is to be achieved through two specific objectives: educating on equal opportunities in sports, providing an innovative and practical method for countering gender stereotypes in sports associations and thinking with them about new activities for their communities.
The participants learnt that stereotypes do not allow us to know the extraordinary uniqueness of people. They also learnt the difference between:
GENDER'S CONCEPT: was coined to indicate the differences between women and men that are not biologically rooted but socially constructed;
GENDER IDENTITY: represents the inner feeling of belonging to the male or female gender;
GENDER'S ROLE: society's expectations on the representation of the masculine and the feminine. So: how should we act;
SEXUAL ORIENTATION: it is the emotional, romantic and/or sexual attraction towards individuals of the opposite, same or both sexes;
GENDER STEREOTYPE: a generalised view or preconception about characteristics that women and men possess or the roles that they should perform. Gender stereotyping can limit the development of the natural talents and abilities of women and men.
The second phase of the meeting concerned dividing the members of the different associations into mixed groups to exchange good inclusion practices to counter gender stereotypes in sports. During this phase, the groups realised that we all use stereotypes to give an effortless sense of a complex and multifaceted world. They also tried to write the typical gender stereotypes in the different daily life of kids/teens environments like family, school and sport.
Concerning sports, the most common stereotypes identified by the participants are:
Men: contact and fights sports, football, don't dance, strength, the sport could be their future, faster, sex orientation based on the mark.
Women: weakness, artistic sports, not a real career, pink uniform, delicate, they are sexualised.
After the workshop, it was time for the groups to present their learning outcomes in front of the others.
The solutions that seemed most convincing to all partners were:
Neutral colours for uniforms, boys and girls should do both contact and artistic sports in school, give children a choice without judgement, promote sports events to try everything, encourage Erasmus+ projects to get to know different possibilities, introduce images of equality in gyms and schools.
In the end, concerning the need to fight gender stereotypes in their associations, the partners were very proactive and willing to implement the suggestions made at the meeting.
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